Camille Lyter is a junior at Mira Costa High School and was named All-Area girls water polo player of the year. She was photographed at the Costa pool Tuesday afternoon, April 10th, 2018.
Photo for The Daily Breeze/SCNG by Axel Koester.

Camille Lyter is a junior at Mira Costa High School and was named All-Area girls water polo player of the year. She was photographed at the Costa pool Tuesday afternoon, April 10th, 2018.
Photo for The Daily Breeze/SCNG by Axel Koester.

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Camille Lyter is a junior at Mira Costa High School and was named All-Area girls water polo player of the year. She was photographed at the Costa pool Tuesday afternoon, April 10th, 2018.
Photo for The Daily Breeze/SCNG by Axel Koester.

Camille Lyter is a junior at Mira Costa High School and was named All-Area girls water polo player of the year. She was photographed at the Costa pool Tuesday afternoon, April 10th, 2018.
Photo for The Daily Breeze/SCNG by Axel Koester.

Camille Lyter is a junior at Mira Costa High School and was named All-Area girls water polo player of the year. She was photographed at the Costa pool Tuesday afternoon, April 10th, 2018.
Photo for The Daily Breeze/SCNG by Axel Koester.

Camille Lyter is a junior at Mira Costa High School and was named All-Area girls water polo player of the year. She was photographed at the Costa pool Tuesday afternoon, April 10th, 2018.
Photo for The Daily Breeze/SCNG by Axel Koester.

Camille Lyter is a junior at Mira Costa High School and was named All-Area girls water polo player of the year. She was photographed at the Costa pool Tuesday afternoon, April 10th, 2018.
Photo for The Daily Breeze/SCNG by Axel Koester.

Camille Lyter is a junior at Mira Costa High School and was named All-Area girls water polo player of the year. She was photographed at the Costa pool Tuesday afternoon, April 10th, 2018.
Photo for The Daily Breeze/SCNG by Axel Koester.

Camille Lyter knew the Mira Costa girls water polo team’s first matchup against Bay League rival Redondo was a big one, considering Redondo had swept Mira Costa the year before to win the league title.

“They beat us twice last year, which was super frustrating,” Lyter said. “Before we even got into the pool, our biggest battle was not psyching ourselves out.”

Lyter, the Daily Breeze Girls Water Polo Player of the Year, netted three goals that January day against Redondo, and the Mustangs defeated Redondo less than two weeks later to clinch the league crown in Redondo’s pool.

“We never let down and kept going hard until the end,” Lyter said. “It felt even better winning the league title against Redondo, and it was a huge achievement for our girls.”

With the team’s leading scorer, Camille’s sister Leigh, not suited up against Redondo, Camille showed the kind of poise that made her one of the team’s captains.

“I know in the beginning of that game, we were having trouble moving the ball in the high lanes,” Lyter said. “One thing I focused on was driving and posting up to get the ball and to draw a foul, ejection or get a shot.”

Mira Costa coach Jon Reichardt saw Lyter step up when her team needed her most, especially against Redondo.

“We were missing a few starters (against Redondo), and Camille stepped up and took control,” Reichardt said.

What Reichardt saw against Redondo was nothing out of the norm from the junior.

“I’ve never seen her slow down,” Reichardt said. “She’s a great all-around player. She enjoys the game and has fun playing.”

“Water polo is such a mental and physical game,” Lyter said. “I’m always super vocal trying to pump up my team and keep a positive attitude. All it takes is one discouraging look and it can totally throw off the whole team dynamic.”

It wasn’t only against Redondo that Lyter showed her mettle. In the Mustangs’ CIF Southern Section Division 3 semifinal against top-seeded Harvard-Westlake, Lyter kept Mira Costa in the game.

“Camille really stepped up (against Harvard-Westlake),” Reichardt said. “She played pretty tough, and we were down one of our best players (Leigh Lyter) after the second period.”

Lyter finished her junior campaign with 63 goals and 48 steals, but she knew that the biggest thing coming into the season was Mira Costa proving itself against teams like Redondo.

“Things were really tense with Redondo coming into the season, and we wanted to beat them,” Lyter said. “We are probably the most competitive teams in Bay League, and the games are always pretty intense. But we play every game to win, and playing Redondo is never an exception.”

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